Badlands Horror
In June 2021, my wife and I spent some time in the Dakotas while traveling the nation in our RV. While I was in the town of Medora, North Dakota, located on the border of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, I began thinking of the "Badlands Horror."
I first learned of the Badlands Horror from a guy who contacted me through my website. He told me the story of a strange creature that went on a rampage killing livestock in the North Dakota badlands during the early 1930s. He also sent the text from news articles mixed with his own commentary. I posted the article on my blog and asked that anyone with more information contact me, but no one did.
I ended up putting the story out of my mind, but upon my arrival to Medora, I began thinking of the strange tale once again. The article that the fellow sent me is printed below. Again, if you have any information regarding it, I would love to hear from you.
THE BADLANDS HORROR
The Badlands, in North Dakota, deserved their sinister name. The area around the Little Missouri River [in western North Dakota] is a forbidden land, lonely and dry, plenty of arid cliffs. The timid green from the spring is soon burned dry under the hot summer's sun. Winters, on the other hand, are extremely cold and snowy. This land is inhabited by the offspring of the intrepid pioneers who terraformed the land, even forcing the elemental laws in order to achieve it. Those hard-spirited people were not easily intimidated, but during the early 30s events transpired there. Events that gave fear to the hearts of such courageous persons.
In the middle of 1931, the Dickenson Sun reported a series of UFO appearances over Northwest Dakota. From June 4 to June 11, five incidents with "strange lights crossing the sky, coming down the land just to move upside, until disappear from sight” were reported. Many explanations came from scientists, in the hope to find an explanation to the phenomenon. Even the well-known weather- balloon theory was used. As soon as the weird lights disappeared, they forgot such incidents, leaving just the miserable depression-era news to the people. Anyway, the calm of the summer was soon interrupted and was later known as the Badlands Horror.
In June 13, Mr. John Milfred informed that four of his cows were found crippled and death. As he established in his report:
"They looked just like if someone had taken them and tear them to pieces. The head of one bullock was completely teared apart and other had its legs totally broken. It looked just like the attack of a grizzly bear, but I never heard about grizzlies in this area.”
Later, in an interview with the Sun, added:
"Never, ever had I seen jaw marks like those before. Whatever it may have been,
it cut the cattle wide open, bones and all, just like a hot knife over butter.”Two days later, a similar attack transpired in the Tjaden´s farm. Five cows were killed, their bodies literally were torn to pieces. Milford and Tjaden assembled a crowd to hunt down whatever it may be attacking the cattle. Amazingly, they were unable to find any trace of the beast. Tjaden remembered later:
"Their bodies seemed to had been moved or dragged. We thought they were rustlers doings, trying to hide their traces, but we never heard of rustlers tearing the cattle to pieces just for the fun of it.”
They were convinced it was someone or something intelligent the one behind the attacks. The crowd went through almost the whole Badlands area, with no luck.
Dr. Phillip Morgan was the first one to obtain a visual perspective of the creature:"I was driving, coming back from the Calumet ranch, after a childbirth. It was dark outside and the dawning sun was hurting my eyes. I took a turn in the highway, when I saw that thing on the road. I pushed the brakes in order to avoid a collision. That thing looked at my car coming and jumped. I was astonished. That thing jumped at least 30 to 40 feet in the air, over a rock near the highway. Then it jumped again, but I was unable to see for its destination. That was such an ugly beast. I never have seen something like that before. It looked like a big kangaroo, with part of its skin covered with hair and part covered with scales. Unfortunately, the sun was hurting my eyes, so I couldn't have a good visual of the creature. I've got no idea what the hell was that…I just know I don´t want to see that again.”
The reports about the creature sightings were full with contradictions.
Immanuel Stevens, who witnessed the creature many nights after that report, described it like a gorilla with a long and hairy tail.John McLaughlin witnessed it too at daybreak, days later, saying it seemed a big lizard with fur. Both men assured that the thing seemed to be in a hurry. Likewise, both said it moved by means of long jumps, covering the ground with awesome long leaps, from about 50 to 100 feet. Unfortunately, soon there were dozens of untrustworthy reports, that gave the creature supernatural powers. Some tourist said he saw the thing as an airplane (!?) another said that it had the shape of an octopus. The sheriff's office was full with callings from people reporting the creature in all the whole state. One person said he saw the creature in Hawaii!
Many of the reports were lies or contradictions. In certain occasions, the thing was reported in two locations, 30 miles away one from the other, and with five minutes between calls.In June 15 and June 19 more cattle attacks were reported. By that time, the local newspapers were in the brisk of a battle with the story, adding new twists and turns to each new attack. Some newspaper named the creature as "…Satan's offspring, making the ground ready for a second coming…” A Minneapolis newspaper discarded the creature as "…a ridiculous attempt to look for attention…”
The authorities thought in solve the mystery by June 20. Someone informed about the destruction of an enormous truck, near the Little Missouri river, around the Medora area. When the police arrived to the accident, they discovered a big truck with six mutilated and dead cows near it. They discovered the cattle belonged to Hiram Jacobs, who had been previously accused of being a rustler himself. The police soon discarded the Horror as a clever attempt of Jacobs to cover up his illegal activities. The newspapers don’t delay to expose Jacobs as the Horror and promised to find new articles of public interest.
The Badlands Horror returned with violence two days later, when some students that were hanging around the Badlands, discovered the dismembered bodies of Jacobs and his comrades. They were torn to pieces, just like the cattle…and parts of their bodies were eaten. It seemed Jacobs wanted to use the Horror as a scapegoat to uncover his illegal activities, when just by chance, the awful creature appeared in his way. It attacked the truck with wild frenzy. While it was busy killing the cattle, Jacobs and his comrades tried a futile escape. The Horror found them far from the truck and killed them. Now the police department was before a murder. However, even before they could do anything, the Badlands Horror appeared once again. When the police agents were in the process of transport the bodies to the morgue, the Henderson´s farm was before a night of terror.
Jim and Mary Anne Henderson had a small ranch near the little Missouri. They had some cattle, that were bound for the barn, to keep them safe from the incursions of the Creature. Judy, their little daughter, was inside the barn, cleaning a newborn yearling. They were ready to dinner.
"I don´t know how much time it took me to wake up. Everything after that hour are blurred in my mind. I discovered that I was alone in the barn. The cattle must be outside, I thought. Carefully I looked outside the barn. The house…the house was broken down. There was an enormous hole in the place the kitchen´s door should be. I saw parts of the cattle in the yard. That's all I can remember.”
Judy was pretty fortunate. The creature moved inside the house by means of brute force and attacked the Hendersons. Their bodies were found teared apart in the house and in the yard. The cattle was its main interest, since it killed them all.
Judy was found by the police the next morning, severely shocked. That was years before she was able to talk again, and much time before she could remember her night of terror. The attack to the Henderson's farm was the last report of the Beast. It could die among the desolate badlands or maybe it was moved out.In June 22, the strange lights were reported once again over the badlands skies. Mr. Herbert Moore, from Willinstone, witnessed the creature for the last time.
"I was seated at the porch, gun in hand, drinking a Jack Daniels, when I saw the light moving fast in the sky, from east to west. It was relatively near the ground, no more then 100 feet. Whatever it was…it stood still at the distance. I presume it could have been between 300 to 400 feet length. Suddenly, I saw that thing on the ground, running anguished, like fleeing from the light. I´ve never had seen something like that before. That thing moved with very long leaps. In a matter of seconds, the thing and tha light disappeared, then I saw when the light released some lighting in the sky, far away. I swear that after that night I won't drink whisky any more.”
Judy Henderson told, years after the incident:
"The first thing I heard was a violent and distant noise. It was like the hollow sound of an ax over dry wood. I was hugging Minnie (the yearling) trying to take more attention. Mom called me to dinner, so I moved outside the barn. I walked some steps out, when I saw the Thing approaching. It was moving through the prairie with long leaps, right to me. I yelled and ran back to the barn, closing the door noisily. That thing reached the barn´s door scarcely seconds later. That thing must have travel at a fantastic speed. It stopped for a moment. I heard its grunts. It sounded like a big ogre with nasal voice. I was extremely afraid to cry for help, afraid that any noise could call for its attention toward me. I was praying my father move outside, looking for me, then discover the beast and use his gun against it. When I heard at its heavy breathing. I saw the barns door being slightly pushed. I heard a big roar and suddenly It broke the door, piercing it with Its hand, like if it was paper made. Its hand was awful. I clearly remember the black hair over Its scaly hand and the long talons on Its three fingers. It roared once again and threw itself against the wall and the door, breaking it into pieces. The last thing I can remember is the sound of a rifle shooting. I presume that was my father.”
If you would like to read about the fascinating places I visit in my travels, consider checking out my Detours Into the Paranormal series of books.
